John Trapp on Nahum 3:13

Verſe 13. Behold thy people in the middeſt of thee are women] i. e. Fearfull, and faint-hearted: [non-Latin text not transcribed]. See Eſay 3.12. Jer. 51.30. and 48.41. And this in the middeſt of thee, where they ſhould be moſt valiant, like cocks on their own dung-hill, as they ſay. Lo, thoſe that formerly faced the heavens, and, by a Cy[illegible: 1 letter]lopical-kind of impiety, ſlighted God, and dared the devil to a duell, how creſt-faln they are and courageleſſe, when the enemy is upon them: the noiſe of a driven leaf, affrights them, Lev. 26. a panick terrour ſeizeth upon them, as it did once upon the Syrians, 2 King. 7. and upon the Imperialiſts, in the warre againſt the Huſſites, ſo that they could not ſtrike a ſtroke: and upon the Burgundians, who expecting a battle, thought long thiſtles were launces, and turned their backs, with thoſe Ephraimites, Pſal. 78.9. It is God that puts mettle into men, that ſtrengthens or weakens the arm of either party, Ezek. 30.24. Theſe lions, as they are called chap. 2.12. that formerly ruſhing out of Nineveh their den, filled it with ravine, tearing and ſpoiling all they met with, are now become Harts and Stagges; that have great horns, but do nothing with them, quia de[illegible: 1 letter]ſt animus, becauſe they want courage: or as thoſe Eretrians, of whom Themiſtocles ſaid, that they were like the ſword-fiſh,Plutarch. that had a ſword indeed, but not an heart to make uſe of it.

the gates of thy land ſhall be ſet wide open] Thy frontier townes and cinqueports, thoſe keyes of the kingdom; aperiendo aperientur ſhall open to give the enemie entrance; as at the ſiege of Jeruſalem, the iron-gate opened of it own accord.

the fire ſhall devoure thy barres] Becauſe God, who is a conſuming fire, ſhall remove out of the enemies way, all obſtacles and impediments: ſo that all ſhall be pervious, and patent to them. Fire God had threatened once before, chap. 2.13. and it may very well be, that the gates were fired without a metaphor. See verſe 15.